For those unfamiliar with the novel or Russian cultural history, the story might appear incoherent, perhaps annoyingly so. The film bears multiple viewings just as the other reviewers have said. Whenever I am down I reach for this DVD no kidding. I identify with the characters. I recently (a few yrs ago) moved back to the Philippine just as Lavrfetsky moved back to Lavriki. I was a Russian minor in college and I have this to thank for my excellent pronunciation which I encountered in my high school yrs. I have grown with the movie and the decisions of the characters appear to make more sense as I get older and wiser and have made a few mistakes of my own.i understans Liza now and her decision to withdraw from the world and pray for her and other's sins. I have even grown more forgiving of the adulteries of the wife. The protagonist is really screqed by life. I hav never read the novel so I don't know how faithful Look out for the appearance of an actor and director whose name escapes me at the moment. Btw, th excellent music is very atmospheric as well as being quite diverse, from peasant's work chants to high opera.

This movie manages to deliver a mood of the Turgenev's novel, but the director added also his own vision of the Russian life in the 19th century. All elements, all components of successful movie are presented in this work -- scenery based on literary classics,nice cinematography, excellent direction, beautiful performance by all actors, unforgettable music, and amazing Russian landscapes. This is one of those movie which i like to watch again and again, and every time i will find something new, something that will touch my soul. It is a clever movie made with sincere love of Russia. What i would like to emphasize particularly is the nice women shot in this movie, beautiful actresses -- Irina Kupchenko and Beata Tyshkevitch, one can easily fall in love with, as it happened to the director, as i know from his reminiscences. i give 9,5 of 10 to this masterpiece, the excellent exemplary of how classics has to be brought to screen

Fyodor Lavretski, estranged from his unfaithful wife returns to his childhood home. He falls in love with a young relative, Elizaveta (Liza) Kalitina, who returns his love, but loses her when his wife suddenly turns up. Liza decides to become a nun.Konchalovski's film is freely based on "motifs" from Turgenev's novel - the main characters are still Lavretski and Liza, but many details on Lavretski's life have been added. The actors are all excellent, down to the children, but one must especially mention the young Irina Kupchenko, radiant and sensitive as the serious Liza. Visually, the film is a treat, with Northern summer days and nights.